The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-09-02
GaEAR COT AaHgMEgE.
EDITOR BULLETIN.

ask space IN your paper To OHer
few thoughts on the aII-absorbing
question of the day, VIZ; the pro-
posed amendment 10 the constitu-
ton Of the State Of Tennessee.
We are apt in the midst of so
much confusion of tongues, to lose
sight of the real question at issue.
! The State OF Tennessee has for a
number of years, been granting
licenses, or permits, to certain ind
viduais upon stated conditions to
traffic in intoxicating liquors; now
shall the state Withdraw these lcen.
SEES, or permits? And | submit here
that the power to grant license inn
plies tie power to withhold. II the
people through their Representatives
can license an evil, they can OH the
contrary withhold license. Now shall
this be done throu Oh the instruments
taIity of constitution al amend memt
or not?
IIay down the proposition that
the prime and ultimate object Of
law with the American people is
to promote the gr ate.
good to the greatest numoer 10
advance the best IL tere st5 of tie
majority OF the people. Now,
while the objecr Of law with us is as
stated above, 1t does not undertaL 9
to enforce all thin = that pertain 10
the general good. Hence the cry
of personal liberty"
/ In considering mis- question, we
are confronted by tins proposition.
Is the whisky traffic pronotive OF the
greatest good to tie greatest mum.
i beii Daes it advance the interest
of a majority Of the ieople? Ifrot,
hlye the people of the state Of Ten II
the right by legal nactment to pro-
hibiL that which they conceive to be
detrimental and useless to the pub
lie good2 II we can ay that the
/ whiskey traffic IS not for the pub IL
welfare, then our citizens, Unbiased
and unprejudiced by any n-ele
selfish consideration, are duty bound
to support the amendment, That
the moral influences Of the saloons
are bad, and bad c1ntluualIy-that
there is nothing refining or e'evating
connected with them--that they
are to be dreaded anyw here and
everywhere, are conceded facts even
by the most ardent admirers % Of
the traffic. The state comedies these
facts by passing measures to curb
and control the saloon. So that
without further arguments lets cons
cede that nothing goo from moral
standpoint, has ever emanated from
the whisky traffic.
Then let us consider 1t from d
financial standpoint. Let Us see
If it builds up a state or people
financially:
This Is tie strong % argument
with the oppOsers of this amendment
So 1t deserves careful consideration
and investigation from the friends
of the movement. The opposition
grant that the moral phase is a bad
Que; but claim that the financial IN
terests of the people are paramount
to the moral interest. Granting for
arguments sake, the traffic to be a
| financial benefit to the people, it is
carried on at the expense Of public
morals. Hence | claim that this
consideration alone would justify a
prohinitory law. Since one Of tie
: highest objects Of human law is to
| protect and promote good moral III
| tuences. The moral consideration
certainly takes precedence OF fnan
cial one, or we surrender our Ameri~
can manhood to The monetary devil
OF the nineteenth century.
But to the financial phase. Our
friends claim that 1t is a source of
revenue; hence builds up the state
financially. They grant that it Is a
detriment to the iudIyidual who IS
so unfortunate as to become a vic
tim to the drinking habit. They
submit thst though he may be a
; man of means, even wealth It is on
~ question of time when he and
his Innocent family will be reduce
to poverty, want and misery. They
submit that it impoverishes an IN
dIvIdual, II neIghborhood and small
sections of country; but endeavor tC
draw the Illogical conclusion that it
, ad vances the financial interests of 8
! state. Here / ask tho question:
What composes or constitutes :
state? Individual citizens, they say
Then if the traiii9 in ~.l'k=y or use
Of whi.kes or INT catnZ liquors
{ are detrlm, othe individnais Of {
state, is It Mt impoverisain4 70 the
IS state? The conclusion cannot he
u averted. Il comes with -! the NIGH
" Of tr4th, and logic against tive 20. .hls
= try and alder dash OF biad .o.dec
err rists. Iii against the p,cunia
p ~ interest IF tne state because it 4 :
q stroSs the basis Of taxation -musc.'
Lr.,iLl al-tarna.iss IN ltI.strv md &c m n